Walk the Line: Research 4

More gifs! This one is based on an image made by me and Oliver taking turns to draw on a long sheet of paper, creating an abstract cityscape. 

Map of Me: Outcome 2

Now that I finally feel like I like my app idea to the point where I’m actually inspired, working on my screens went really quick. After one intense and productive day I now have an app concept and a prototype to show. Thinking about how to make my application interactive, I decided that I want the user to be able to do what I have done as well- create poems about their experience of London and make them into posters that you then can print. Making your poems into visuals. It works by you choosing the letter that you want for your poster, then you pick the colour and lastly you write your poem on it, add to gallery and print!

In terms of the design, I used the same 4 colours I had in my first prototype (blue, yellow, red, pink) for navigation as I think these also work for this idea. The font for the text is Avenir Next Medium and the letters I have manipulated are set in Big Caslon. I found out that I like the outcome of the manipulated type better when it’s set in serifs but as I am overall a very sans serif person and I needed a type that wasn’t so ornate for the rest of the text in the app to fit with the kind of strict and geometric design, I went with Avenir Next as it a bit rounded so it matches the curvyness I have going on with the posters. 

Map of Me: Development 5

This project has been on hold for a while for several reasons but the main one being that I still wasn’t happy with my idea and that has made it really difficult to continue with it. Doing more research, I went back to some of my original inspirations: Jessica Walsh and her usage of bright colours and a lot of blue, pink and purple, architectural photography focusing on geometry and angles (but this time I looked more into colour and minimalist photography) and text.

Moodboard, by Lisa

Map of Me: Development 2

Designing my logomark for the map of me, I played around a bit with shapes of buildings and mouths as I wanted to capture both conversation and the city but it didn’t really work out. It just gave the impression of buildings talking which I wasn’t really going for. I also didn’t want the mark to look too crowded, but use only a couple of shapes. After a lot of drawing I came up with the idea of two stylised mouths half open like in the middle of saying something. 

map of me: development

The opposite of what I had planned, my mapping of conversations has had to be done a bit backwards. Instead of first finding conversations and then exploring the area around it in search of a good photograph – I have had to do all the photographing at once. I wanted my images to be kind of high contrast between shadow and light which means I have had to time my work to London’s weather. I need sunlight. The lack of time I’ve had to focus on this has also forced me to change my approach. Maybe for the better!

The other day I went on a photo safari through parts of London I like – a walk I will have to do again but listening at different places instead of only seeing.

Contact sheets, photos by Lisa 

Dialogue studio: risograph printing

A poem for the Riso

Dear Riso,

You look like something taken out of a sci-fi film from the eighties
bulky, beige, pink and mint.

Spitting out paper faster than I can blink pausing your rhythmic drumming
only when it is time to change the ink.

Colouring my fingers blue
Riso printer I want to love you
but right now
I’m finding it very hard to. 

Dialogue Studio: Feedback and Map of Me Research 2

Getting some feedback on my ideas for the “map of me”, I have looked in to more designers and art/design with type in space. Adding to my list of inspiration- I now place Alexander Calder and his beautiful work with mobiles and installations, and Jessica Walsh’s bold colour work and type. Jessica Walsh also uses a colour palette through out her portfolio that is similar to what I want to use for my project.

Another name I will add to my list of inspiration is Jenny Holzer. She does light projections on to buildings, giving them a whole other sense of life and it’s really beautiful. 

Pastiche 1560: Wayfinding excersize, La Jetée and the Kuleshov Effect

Making a film through still images is an easy way to create a video sequence and until today- wasn’t really a technique I’d used before. It is actually an interesting way to create narrative and story.  The Kuleshov Effect explains why putting  images together in a certain sequence is the base for film making and how powerful a tool editing is. “Through the choices in how shots are organized and sequenced, filmmakers can create new meaning by juxtaposing unrelated images.

Making a Living: Market Ready Brief

As part of one of my modules, Creative Industry Practice, Accelerator- a company helping with business coaching for freelancers, self employed, business owners and startups has given us the opportunity to be part of the Christmas market at Brick Lane in London this December. Engaging in the business side of graphic design and learning about pitching work to clients, building a brand and setting up a small shop basically is definitely going to be a great learning experience. For this, we will need to:

• Develop a collective brand
• Design and create products
• Develop a promotional plan
• Propose a display for the market

My group will be making stationery like notebooks, pencils and things you can use and keep after Christmas (won’t be making anything with Santa on them) bringing together our shared love of the simple and clean. Bringing forth my inner passion/promoter/planner/financier and social media expert to work together all at once, let’s go!

 

Dialogue Studio: Stories, Concepts, Tone of voice

collage- ‘a city of things in the city’ and drawing sounds and smells, by Lisa

Stop thinking and just do= mantra of the day. Continuing on the path of mark making and idea generating, today’s theme has been documentation. But not only documenting what you see- but what you smell and hear as well. I found this exercise quite fun and even though I had difficulty grasping the purpose of it, I realised I actually could draw a sound or a smell, who knew.